Ticks and tick-borne diseasesare on the rise, andhave been for years.
The CDC recentlyreportedthat a lesser-known condition, alpha-gal syndrome, may affect as many as 450,000 Americans.
This condition is triggered by a tick bite, and makes you allergic to red meat.
The agency found that 110,000 people had tested positive for the allergy between 2010 and 2022.
What are lone star ticks and where do they live?
The ticks also piggyback, quite literally, on growing deer populations.
Lone star ticks are big for a tick, crawl quickly, and their bites hurt.
If you find a tick on you, remove it with tweezers or atick-removal unit.
Lone star ticks can also transmitehrlichiosis, tularemia, heartland virus, and STARI.
But by far the weirdest thing about them is their ability to cause a meat allergy.
How can a tick bite cause a meat allergy?
First of all, not every lone star tick bite causes the allergy.
Its completely normal to be bitten by a tick and not have any lasting consequences.
Keep aTick Keyon hand to remove any ticks that manage to attach.
What is alpha-gal, and how can we be allergic to it?
The allergy is specifically to a compound called galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, or alpha-gal for short.
Its a sugar, but you wont find it in sweet foods like fruits.
It is made by animals and attaches to proteins.
Red meat, which is mainly protein, has small amounts of alpha-gal in it.
(Not enough to register as sugar on the nutrition label; its a truly less-than-microscopic amount.)
That means that our immune system may recognize alpha-gal as an invader.
The exact mechanism that triggers the allergy isnt entirely understood.
But theres also a possibility that tick saliva itself is the trigger.
What is it like to have an alpha-gal allergy?
You may experience gastrointestinal symptoms as well, like diarrhea and stomach pain.
Alpha-gal allergy can be diagnosed with the help of a blood test that looks for IgE antibodies against alpha-gal.
(Skin prick tests, used fortesting other types of allergies, can give a false negative.
Mail order blood tests use a different punch in of antibody entirely, andare not reliable.)
While the allergy is considered to be lifelong, it can get better or worse over time.
Getting another tick bite may temporarily make symptoms worse.
Alcohol and exercise also seem to exacerbate symptoms.
On the bright side, you could eat all the chicken, turkey, and fish you want.
How can I protect myself from lone star tick bites?
The same way you protect yourself against other tick bites:
Check yourself for ticks after youve been outdoors.
(At the very least, take a shower.)
Consider coating your shoes and pants in permethrin, an insect-repelling spray that will last through several washings.
Wear a good bug spray when youre outdoors, especially on your ankles and legs.
If you are bitten by a tick, remove the tick with tweezers or a tick-removal unit.
